Chapter 528

Chapter 528
## Chapter 528. The Monster That Eats Despair (13)

—

The **Murim-dan**? Fighting with the **Huk-do** faction?

I instantly expanded my sensory perception to its limits. If the Demonic Cult had intended to corner people in this place from the beginning, their subsequent move would logically be to flood it with demonic energy. Back in the **Muk-rim**, how many disciples from the academy had perished due to being tainted by that foul power?

“……?”

Oddly enough, I could not detect any demonic energy whatsoever. The air inside the cavern was merely stagnant, thick with the damp scent of moss, completely devoid of any corruptive force. Did this mean the **Baek-do** martial artists, driven by their obsession with ‘Annihilating Demons and Manifesting Righteousness,’ had chosen this exact moment to utterly wipe out the **Huk-do** network? Right now, when the Demonic Cult’s Jiangshis and demonic humans were actively hunting us down?

“Utterly insane……”

Pushing off from the ground, I bolted forward. Utilizing the **Sole Traveler Style** to rapidly cross the Central Hall, I soon reached an area where a massive crowd had congregated. Despite the considerable distance, a raw, suffocating bloodlust and a stingingly sharp intent to kill hung heavily in the air.

*‘Fortunately, it hasn’t broken out yet.’*

The chaotic din of drawn-out battles and clashing steel had not yet commenced. Pushing my way through the dense throng of onlookers, I could hear waves of angry murmurs rising from all sides. I ignored them, relentlessly forcing my way to the front. There, I spotted the leadership of the **Murim-dan** whom I had previously observed in the command tent, surrounded by roughly a hundred elite martial artists with their weapons unsheathed. The atmosphere was incredibly tense, a single spark away from an all-out bloodbath.

The **Huk-do** forces were equally prepared for violence. Standing at the forefront alongside **Gong-son-pung**, whom I had spoken with earlier, were notorious figures like **Dong-bang-seong**, **Sa-jun-cheol**, and **Ak-geon**, all poised to launch into immediate warfare.

“What exactly triggered this?”

I nudged **Dan-ri-jong**, the **Empty Divine Hand**, who was standing nearby. He cast a sideways glance at me and scowled deeply.

“Are you blind? We are on the absolute brink of a war to the death with the **Huk-do**.”

“That much is obvious; I am asking for the reason.”

“Because they gave us a damn good reason.”

With that, he sharply turned his head away. I had been putting up with this miserable bastard’s attitude for a while now, but treating me like this meant I would finally have to drop the civility.

“Listen here, you pathetic piece of trash, you’re acting awfully high and mighty for someone with such mediocre talent.”

“What—what did you just say?”

The arrogant composure of **Dan-ri-jong**, the **Empty Divine Hand**, completely shattered, his face contorting in pure rage.

“You’ve lived all these years and you still can’t tell which way the wind blows. Have you completely forgotten who employs me? I belong to a direct branch of the **Man-tong-bu**, the actual **Man-tong-bu**. Do you genuinely think I lack the leverage to launch a full-scale audit into the **Dan-ri** Clan through my organization? How about I start digging up every single piece of filth your family has buried over the years? Hmm?”

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely certain of their history since I had never reviewed the specific files on the **Dan-ri** Clan, but I knew their reputation wasn’t unshakeable. For people who hold a moderate amount of influence, the terror of losing it outweighs almost anything else. My threat was mostly a bluff, but the pupils of the **Empty Divine Hand Dan-ri-jong** instantly dilated with panic.

“……Do you honestly believe a prominent family like the **Dan-ri** Clan would crumble over an empty threat from a nobody like you?”

No matter how aggressively someone tries to bluster, the raw panic written across their features cannot be hidden.

“Heh, so you’re claiming you have nothing to fear, then?”

“……”

“Fine, let’s see how well that holds up.”

Strictly speaking, his seniority placed him well above me, but I tossed etiquette aside. When dealing with someone like this, a massive bluff is the only way to crack their resolve. Martial artists are no exception to the rule. If you push them hard enough, even those with decent stubbornness will eventually break. When it came down to it, **Dan-ri-jong** simply had too much status to lose over a brief moment of wounded pride.

Predictably, his hand reached out and clamped onto my shoulder.

“……I apologize.”

There wasn’t a shred of genuine remorse in his tone, and we both knew it. Because of that, I deliberately chose to crush his dignity even further.

“Speak up. I can’t hear a word you’re saying down there.”

Biting his lip until it nearly bled, he brought his fist to his open palm, lowering his head in a formal salute.

“This foolish member of the **Dan-ri** family has committed a grave rudeness against the Hall Master of the **Yoseong-dang**. I beg for your leniency.”

A petty gesture like this wasn’t enough to dissipate my irritation, but dealing with this clown wasn’t my priority right now.

“Get to the point. What happened?”

“Our food supplies were plundered by the **Huk-do**. They managed to steal half of everything we had.”

“Half of the entire stock?”

“Precisely.”

The **Baek-do** alliance had already been struggling with their food situation ever since they started hoarding supplies, and given that the **Huk-do** had been facing starvation long before that, a theft like this was almost inevitable. Yet, the **Huk-do** representatives were maintaining an absolute, unyielding denial.

“For what possible reason would we ever touch your miserable rations?”

“Spoken like a true villain of the **Huk-do**, spewing lies every single time you open your mouth.”

“Bah! I would gladly choose to starve to death before I ever let a single scrap of food defiled by your hands pass my lips!”

“Then why don’t you try wiping the grease from that stolen dried meat off your face before you speak?”

At the sharp accusation from **Ji-gwang-gwon-seong Gwang-cho-ryang**, the muscles around **Baek-ta-gwon-gaek Gong-son-pung**’s eyes twitched violently.

“Stop fabricating lies! You really think I don’t see right through your scheme? You’re framing us for this crime just to cover up the fact that your own people secretly gorged themselves on the missing supplies!”

The two men were contemporaries within the Jianghu, recognized widely as bitter rivals in hand-to-hand martial arts, and their names were constantly uttered in the same breath. That deep-seated rivalry was now serving as pure kindling, driving a terrible situation into an absolute inferno.

“Excellent. It seems I will have to turn this very cavern into the final resting place of the **Baek-ta-gwon-gaek** today.”

“Hah! Given that you’ll be rotting in the exact same dirt as your beloved **Sword Zenith**, that sounds like an ideal end for you.”

The moment those final words left their mouths, an oppressive wave of lethal intent flooded the chamber.

*Chae-chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*

Instantly, warriors from both the **Huk-do** and **Baek-do** factions unsheathed their blades, locking into combat stances. Even the individuals who desperately wanted to avoid a bloody conflict found themselves forced to draw their weapons to avoid being slaughtered unawares. Once a confrontation escalates to this degree, a war becomes unavoidable, regardless of personal wishes.

*Gulp—*

The tension grew suffocatingly taut, hanging by a thread in that volatile space.

*U-ung—*

Suddenly, a massive, roaring wall of pure thermal energy surged outward, washing over the entire area.

“Agh!”

“Kh-hh.”

As that scorching yet incredibly dense pressure locked down the surroundings, both the **Baek-do** and **Huk-do** martial artists instinctively shuddered, their movements freezing.

“Perhaps it would be wise to halt this madness here.”

Emerging from the crowd, **Zen Master Cheon-sim** and the ordained monks of the Shaolin Temple stepped into view. Every single one of them was radiating a powerful aura, physically forcing a wedge between the opposing factions.

“**Benefactor Gwang**, instigating a massacre over mere food is an action beneath a man of your stature.”

“**Zen Master**, are you truly blind to how catastrophic our current circumstances are?”

“I am fully aware. However, if a civil war breaks out here and now, who stands to gain the ultimate advantage from our deaths?”

“If that is your concern, we simply need to violently reclaim the provisions they plundered. Do that, and there is no longer any reason for us to slaughter one another.”

**Gong-son-pung** roared back in fury.

“How many times must I repeat that we did not touch your food!”

“Look at them, **Zen Master**! Do you honestly intend to stand by and do nothing while these scoundrels mock us with their lies?”

**Zen Master Cheon-sim** quietly directed his gaze toward **Gong-son-pung** and the rest of the gathered **Huk-do** group. After silently locking eyes with each individual, he shifted his attention back to **Gwang-cho-ryang**.

Here were some of the most formidable masters in the entire Jianghu, men willing to gamble their very lives over basic **Byuk-gok-dan** and tough dried meat that they wouldn’t have even glanced at under normal circumstances. Even with lethal monsters poised to tear out their throats at any second from the shadows, their immediate fixation wasn’t the threat of Jiangshis or demonic entities; it was the location of a few pieces of stale meat and dry, suffocating **Byuk-gok-dan**. No matter how capable they were of shattering mountains or shaking the heavens with their bare hands, it proved the harsh reality that they were ultimately fragile human beings, entirely enslaved by the primal hunger tearing at their stomachs.

“**Benefactor Gwang**, would it not be possible to overlook this transgression by embracing the compassion of the Buddha?”

Yet, to men driven to the brink of starvation, the sacred words of the Buddha amounted to nothing more than empty noises echoing in the wind.

“That is absurd. Are you suggesting that our righteous **Baek-do** brethren should simply lie down and starve to death just to appease these worthless **Huk-do** dogs?”

Even when faced with such resistance, a monk cannot simply abandon their sermon. It remains the eternal obligation of a Buddhist to continuously offer salvation. Furthermore, there were aspects of this entire scenario that felt entirely wrong.

“Even if that is true, is it righteous to condemn them without absolute proof? Allow Shaolin to take charge, investigate the matter thoroughly, and we will either enforce justice or expose their remaining misdeeds.”

For a split second, a flash of uncertainty crossed **Gwang-cho-ryang**’s eyes. This was undoubtedly because the situation was veering away from his planned outcome.

“……”

**Zen Master Cheon-sim** took a deliberate step backward. When dealing with someone backed into a corner, one must always provide a clear path of retreat to prevent a desperate strike.

“Let us settle it in this manner. The Shaolin Temple shall assume full responsibility for the missing rations, treating them as though they were consumed by our order. Once we have escaped this perilous place, the Shaolin Temple will fully reimburse your losses.”

“……”

The furious, blood-red complexion that had dominated **Gwang-cho-ryang**’s face suddenly cooled, as if he had been doused in freezing water.

“……What manner of compensation are you promising?”

“I am speaking of a recompense that far exceeds whatever value **Benefactor Gwang** is currently visualizing.”

*Gulp—*

**Gwang-cho-ryang** stood frozen in intense calculation for a long moment before turning an icy glare toward **Gong-son-pung**.

“Consider yourself incredibly fortunate today. Through the divine mercy of the Buddha, you’ve avoided starvation and managed to keep your head attached to your shoulders. Spend the rest of your days living in gratitude to the temple.”

With that, the ranks of the **Murim-dan**, led by **Gwang-cho-ryang**, turned on their heels and marched away.

“Pah! You honestly expect me to believe this wasn’t an elaborate theater piece orchestrated by you hypocrites?”

“*Amitabha*.”

**Zen Master Cheon-sim** brought his palms together in a respectful gesture toward the **Huk-do** contingent, but **Gong-son-pung** and his followers turned away, utterly ignoring the monk’s blessing.

Following the incident, the **Murim-dan** swiftly enacted a massive restructuring of their ranks. They handpicked only the most absolute elites from the **Baek-do** collective, assigning them to form a strict defensive perimeter separating the core **Murim-dan** from the rest of the outer **Baek-do** group. The **Murim-dan** pushed the boundary significantly outward, ensuring the common **Baek-do** martial artists could not get anywhere near their positions. Though many vocally condemned this sudden isolation, they were ultimately forced to comply under the justification that the remaining food stores required absolute protection.

Furthermore, a harsh new decree was implemented: anyone who refused to strictly obey the mandates of the **Murim-dan** would be entirely cut off from future food rations due to the worsening scarcity. Faced with this ultimatum, resistance crumbled. A frantic rush ensued among the **Baek-do** warriors, each desperately vying for a spot inside the elite **Murim-dan** ranks. In a desperate environment where food was rapidly vanishing, securing a position within the inner circle meant guaranteeing a small, albeit reliable, daily ration. However, the **Murim-dan** leadership proved incredibly selective, rejecting the vast majority.

“What brought your group over here?”

A contingent from the Dang Clan, including **Dang-su-je**, abruptly migrated over to our designated camp.

“The leadership of the **Murim-dan** actually ordered us to halt all medical treatments,” he explained bitterly.

Claiming that the dwindling medical supplies had to be strictly reserved for the fighting elites, they had issued an explicit command to completely abandon the wounded common warriors. Appalled by the directive, **Dang-su-je** had gathered every single member of the Dang Clan and abandoned their camp to join us.

“It is complete madness. If this trajectory continues, it won’t just be the **Baek-do**; this entire Central Hall will be transformed into a catastrophic plague pit of rotting corpses.”

The grim reality behind **Dang-su-je**’s warning sent a freezing shiver straight down my spine.

An additional three days crawled by. Within the suffocating confines of the Central Hall, starving individuals resorted to harvesting wild mushrooms and underground moss. Although the Dang Clan issued strict warnings against consuming unverified cave flora, the agonizing pangs of hunger overrode all caution. People gorged themselves on raw moss, collapsing from violent stomach cramps, while others completely lost their sanity after consuming toxic, unidentified fungi.

Realizing the situation was spiraling entirely out of control, I sought out **Do-kwang-su**.

“I need you to map out exactly which varieties of moss are safe to ingest and which ones are lethal.”

**Do-kwang-su** had managed to survive a substantial period within the depths of the Sword Tomb prior to this by relying entirely on foraging moss and drinking from hidden subterranean streams. He, of all people, possessed the practical knowledge required to make that distinction.

“Are you suffering from hunger as well?”

Looking at me with a profoundly anxious expression, **Do-kwang-su** reached into the folds of his robes and carefully retrieved five whole **Byuk-gok-dan** along with ten thick strips of dried meat.

“Please, consume these quickly before anyone notices.”

“……?”

I stared at his hands in disbelief. What was the meaning of this? As it stood, the current rationing system enforced by the **Murim-dan** allotted a meager single **Byuk-gok-dan** per person each day. What **Do-kwang-su** was casually offering me amounted to a five-day—no, nearly an entire week’s worth of precious provisions.

“Where on earth did you manage to acquire these?”

“……”

**Do-kwang-su** shifted his eyes guiltily, looking exactly like a stray animal caught stealing from a kitchen.

“I’m not looking to punish you for theft. If you have enough excess to freely offer me a mountain like this, it implies you have access to a larger hoard, doesn’t it?”

“…… It does.”

“Did you go back to stripping items off the dead bodies?”

“Heavens, no! Do not even suggest such a horrific thing. You must never, under any circumstances, consume food recovered from a corpse in this place. The taint of madness takes hold almost instantly.”

After wrestling with his conscience for a tense moment, **Do-kwang-su** finally leaned in and whispered the truth.

“The truth is…… I lifted them directly from the **Murim-dan** storage area.”

As he confessed, **Do-kwang-su** partially unwrapped a small fabric bundle hidden on his person. The interior was densely packed with rows of **Byuk-gok-dan** and preserved meat.

“Don’t tell me… were you the shadow thief responsible for vanishing half of the **Murim-dan**’s entire stockpile?”

“Good grief, what are you implying? Do I truly look like a man possessed of such reckless bravery? I only managed to slip in and secure this small bundle two nights ago.”

If his timeline was accurate, the math made absolutely no sense. If an amount of food that massive had truly vanished from their vaults, the **Murim-dan** leadership should have erupted into a secondary panic by now, so why was there absolute silence from their camp?

“The reality of the matter is, the **Murim-dan**’s actual food reserves have never once decreased.”

“Explain what you mean by that.”

“I have been secretly infiltrating and surveying their primary supply vault since the very first day we arrived in the Central Hall. Even on the exact afternoon they publicly declared that half their rations had been plundered, the physical crates of food remained entirely untouched.”

“……”

If his observation was correct, what dark motive drove the **Murim-dan** to orchestrate such a massive, explosive theater piece, pushing the factions to the literal brink of an all-out civil war? Furthermore, what twisted logic justified them intentionally starving out not just their **Huk-do** rivals, but their own sworn **Baek-do** allies?

“Stand up.”

“Pardon me?”

“We are going to personally verify the state of those provisions.”

If **Do-kwang-su**’s claims held any truth, we could no longer afford to sit idly by while waiting to see what the **Murim-dan** leadership planned to do with our lives.

“An infiltration is completely out of the question right now. Ever since they announced the theft, the sentry details guarding the perimeter have been completely doubled…… if we make even a slight misstep trying to slip inside, our heads will be separated from our shoulders.”

He wasn’t exaggerating; ever since that fateful day, the executioners of the **Murim-dan** had been ruthlessly slaughtering anyone who so much as set a foot across their drawn boundary line without a second thought.

“Then what is our window?”

“We should make our move precisely during the hour of **In-si** (3 AM – 5 AM). When that specific shift rolls around, the primary sentries left on watch are exclusively the weakest, least capable disciples—the ones who lost out in the internal power struggles within the ranks.”

As expected, **Do-kwang-su**’s opportunistic nature proved reliable in the strangest ways. I instinctively raised a hand, intending to give him a supportive pat on the back for demonstrating such rare utility…….

“Eeek—!”

Seeing him flinch violently, I slowly lowered my hand back to my side.

“Wh-why did you suddenly raise your hand like you were going to strike me……”

“……”

Without uttering another syllable, the two of us sat in the damp darkness, silently counting down the hours until the arrival of **In-si**.